Team Free Will 2 point 0
by pandalaughing
Summary: One-shot tags for season 13, description will be for the current chapter. Castiel confronts Dean after Jack's disappearance at the end of 13x06, Tombstone. Because Cas took the whole 'I thought you were a monster' thing entirely too well for my liking.
1. A Fresh Start

As soon as they get home to the bunker, Dean heads for his room and the bottle of whiskey that's calling his name. Today had been a friggin' nightmare and all he wants right now is a little numbness. Riding home in Baby had fried his last nerve, what with Sam and Jack both casting him wary side glances like he was a bomb about to explode any second, the silence broken only when Jack started apologizing profusely for letting the shifter trick him. Dean had cut him off gruffly, not wanting to think about any of it, especially not about why the powerful nephilim had even let someone wearing Dean's skin come at him with an iron poker in the first place. Why he'd just stood there while 'Dean' bashed him upside the head with it. He'd banished the thoughts and all conversation by cranking the stereo up, the crashing sounds of 'Highway to Hell' drowning out everything.

But he's thinking about it now as the warmth of the whiskey burns it's way through his gut, can't help but hear Mia's voice repeating in his head. _He's terrified of you._ He'd scoffed at the time; sure the kid was nervous around him, but terrified was a bit of a stretch for something that could probably blow him apart with a snap of his fingers, if the kid was anything like his dear old dad anyway. But he hadn't, hadn't raised a finger to defend himself from the shifter, simply because it looked like Dean. And Dean finds himself flashing back to another angel, one with brilliant blue eyes that also let Dean do whatever he wanted, allowed himself to be berated and thrown up against walls because he could never hurt Dean. Now Dean's forced to acknowledge that maybe the kid is more like his chosen father than he'd like to admit.

But of course he'd known that already, it was part of the reason he was so angry at Jack, why he couldn't even bring himself to look at him. After losing Cas, the last thing he needed was another baby angel following him around, staring at him with nervous, hopeful eyes, waiting for his approval. Especially one who'd gotten Cas killed in the first place. So he'd been gruff with the kid, shut him out, pushed him away. Threatened to _kill_ him. And when those wondering eyes became shuttered and dull, when that brilliant smile began to appear less and less often, when the kid finally stopped asking questions with that aggravating furrowed brow and tilted head, Dean had been friggin' ecstatic. Because at least that was one less knife twisting in his gut.

 _You're angry, Dean._ Damn right he was angry, he'd lost nearly everything in an instant. And as far as he was concerned, Jack was on the hook for all of it. But maybe it was time to acknowledge that the kid had lost everything too. His mom, his chosen father, even his biological father, they were all gone. The kid was alone and Dean knew _alone_. How it tears at your insides until you'd do anything to fill that hole, accept anyone or anything just to dull the ache. Jack had latched onto them both, but only Sammy had shown any caring toward him. Still the kid tried to prove himself to Dean, tried so hard to prove he could be good, that he wasn't useless. And wasn't that just like Cas too?

The whiskey's gone now, there hadn't been much in there to begin with, and Dean considers opening a new bottle but decides to get a beer instead. The last thing he needs right now is another hangover. So he heads to the kitchen and of course the first thing he sees is Jack standing at the sink with a glass of water. The kid glances at him, then quickly lowers his eyes and looks away. He doesn't raise the glass to his lips, appears frozen with tension until Dean closes the fridge and turns to him. _Mia was right, he's terrified of me._ The thought might have brought him gratification before, but now it's just another twisting knife.

Finally Jack risks another glance at him, offers a soft "Hey," before looking away again as though prolonged eye contact would burn him. He remains stiff as Dean slowly approaches him, swallows convulsively when Dean stands next to him, looks like he's bracing himself for... something. Dean doesn't know what to say, doesn't know how to fix this, or if he should even try.

He finds himself offering his father's favorite line, the one that would have him flushing with pride after a difficult hunt. "You did good today, Jack." But the effect isn't what he hopes for, and the kid only tips his head slightly in his direction before going back to staring straight ahead, brow furrowed in confusion. Dean wonders if it's too late, maybe he's pushed the kid too far for them to start again. He doesn't know what else to say though, so he turns to go, giving Jack an absent minded pat on the shoulder on his way out. Something makes him turn back at the doorway and he catches a ghost of that brilliant smile softly curving Jack's lips. Maybe it isn't too late for a fresh start after all. Dean finds himself matching that smile before shaking his head and continuing on his way. It's time he and Sammy had a talk.

 **Just a little one-shot that I had to write because this episode just gave me so many feels that I couldn't even. Please excuse any run-on sentences or extraneous commas, I find myself addicted to both. It's also been a LONG time since I've written anything so apologies if it seems a bit clunky. Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Welcome to the Family

Castiel descended the stairs slowly. It was good to be home, but he had to admit he was nervous to meet Jack. The Winchesters had told him a little, that Jack had grown into a young man and had claimed Castiel as his father rather than Lucifer, but they couldn't tell him how Jack would react to his return, or how to treat a fully grown, week old nephilim. There had been an unusual tension in the air when they'd talked about Jack, with Sam occasionally throwing Dean frustrated glances when he'd respond to Castiel's questions with monosyllabic answers. Cas had been reluctant to pursue the source of the tension at the time, not wanting to upset Dean as soon as he returned, but now he was wondering if maybe he should have asked after all. What if Jack was angry at him? What if he'd decided Castiel had abandoned him?

"Sam?" a strangely hesitant voice called from the library and Cas froze. He'd heard that voice before.

"No, Jack. It's not Sam," he finally choked out. A young man with dirty-blonde hair walked into the main room, a wary expression on his face. It quickly changed into something akin to wonder when he finally recognized who stood before him.

A brilliant smile broke across his face like sunshine breaking through storm clouds. "Father?" he whispered. Castiel nodded, unable to stop his own answering smile. Jack rushed toward him, arms reaching for Cas. But he suddenly froze as Castiel sensed someone come up behind him. Jack's eyes flickered over Castiel's shoulder, and his entire demeanor changed in an instant. His arms dropped to his sides, shoulders slumped as though he was trying to make himself smaller, and his gaze fell to the carpet. He took a quick step back, muttering something that sounded like an apology.

Cas shot a confused glance behind him, just in time to see Sam give Dean one of his patented disappointed looks while Dean pointedly avoided looking at any of them. Cas could practically feel the guilt rolling off him and felt the beginnings of anger as he began to suspect what the source of the tension between Sam and Dean had _really_ been. Jack was still staring at the floor, eyes looking suspiciously damp, and Cas couldn't stop himself from laying a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder as he gently asked him to repeat himself. Jack swallowed convulsively, looked up at him with almost overflowing eyes, and whispered, "I'm sorry I got you killed, Castiel."

"What do you mean, Jack?" Cas asked quietly, tamping down his rising anger. He could guess where the boy had gotten this idea. Dean had always had a tendency to lash out in his grief.

"I didn't mean to, I swear," Jack continued urgently. "I... I was scared and I knew Mom was right when she said I'd need a protector. Lucifer kept talking to me, saying he'd protect me, but he was so dark and his voice _hurt_... I didn't want him to be my father, and you were so bright and _good_ and I... I just... I'm sorry..." Jack trailed off, guilt and misery twisting up his usually cherubic features.

Cas decided right then that he and Dean were going to have a long, probably _loud_ talk. Hesitating only a second, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the trembling nephilim. Jack stiffened for a moment, then brought his arms up and hugged him fiercely, burying his face in his shoulder. "Jack, what happened wasn't your fault," he said firmly. "I accepted the responsibility of protecting and caring for you. I knew what that could mean for me, but I accepted the risk because I believed you were worth it. I still believe that." He leaned back and met Jack's eyes, hoping his conveyed his sincerity.

"Really?" Jack croaked disbelievingly. At the moment Cas wasn't sure if he could ever forgive Dean for the doubt in those blue eyes, so like his own. Jack was his son, maybe not by biology, but by _choice_ , and if the Winchesters had taught him anything it was that family didn't begin or end with blood. To think that Dean of all people might have mistreated him because he was 'destined' to become evil or out of misdirected anger over Castiel's death... Cas had been on the receiving end of Dean's scathing tongue and withering glares more than once, but he at least had deserved it for one reason or another. This was something else entirely and Dean was going to answer for it.

But now wasn't the time to plan Dean's verbal dressing down, right now he needed to attempt to rebuild some of this boy's shattered self-worth. "Yes, Jack, I _know_ it. You know why?" Jack gave a hesitant shake of his head. "Because you saved me." Jack opened his mouth to object but Cas overrode him. "Did you ever call out to me?"

Jack hesitated, shooting a nervous glance at Dean that broke Castiel's heart. "I... Yes. Sam and Dean were fighting... about me, and Dean said..." Cas sent Dean a smoldering glare when Jack faltered, one that Dean patently ignored. "I knew he needed you, _I_ needed you, so I reached out for you. But you weren't there..." Jack finished, shaking his head.

"You woke me up, Jack. I was sleeping in the empty and I heard your voice call my name. I was able to bargain with the entity who controlled that place for my freedom, but I'd still be there if it wasn't for you. You _saved_ me." Cas let his voice fill with conviction, both hands on Jack's shoulders as though he could press the truth into him.

"I did?" Cas nodded, but was unsurprised to see Jack look questioningly at Dean, as though only his opinion would truly settle the matter. _Like father, like son._

"You did." Relief flooded through Cas when Dean spoke softly, regretfully. "You did good." Dean cleared his throat and ran a weary hand over his face. "Look. I'm sorry I was such a dick to you. I was angry about Mom and... Cas, and I guess I was looking for someone to blame it on. It felt like Lucifer took everything from me and you were the closest thing to Lucifer around here." Jack winced a little at that and Dean sighed.

"But it wasn't just about Lucifer, because you didn't really remind me of him. You reminded me of _Cas_. I couldn't even look at you because you're so much like him when he first came to earth and it _hurt_." Dean moved closer to Jack, attempting to meet his eyes, but they skittered away from him like frightened rabbits. "But that wasn't your fault, Jack. And I shouldn't have blamed you for it. I can't blame you for wanting a dad who's not a complete frickin' psycho either. I'm sorry, kid."

Jack's brow furrowed as his confusion only seemed to deepen. "So... you don't hate me?" he asked softly, looking up at Dean with eyes that shone with a glimmer of hope.

"Nah, kid, I don't hate you." Dean took a step toward Jack, grimacing when the kid's eyes immediately dropped to the floor again. He carefully laid a hand on the nephilim's shoulder, obviously not wanting to startle him and get blasted for his trouble. "Look, Cas says you're his son. You say he's your father. So I say... welcome to the family, Jack." The grin on Jack's face practically lit up the room, his eyes alight with wonder and happiness, and Cas thought maybe he'd cut Dean some slack when they had their little talk. Maybe.

 **Yes, that's where I'm gonna leave it. ;) I hesitated to post this because it contains a lot of dialogue and I'm absolutely terrible at dialogue, but in the end I went for it because I'm pretty sure Dean is never gonna apologize to Jack on the show and I NEED that to happen. Hope you enjoyed it! Also I'm in the process of writing another one-shot right now but I'm not sure if I should post it here because:**

 **a. It's got a lot of cursing. I mean a LOT. I'd probably have to raise the rating.**

 **b. It doesn't really follow with these two stories**

 **c. Dean goes total asshole on Jack (because apparently I can't get enough of that) and that feels like a huge step backward from these last two chapter** s


	3. Story Time

**Don't know if this really qualifies as a 'tag' since I didn't really have a specific episode in mind, just 'before Cas comes back' and 'while Dean's still being an asshole' but here it is anyways.**

The sound of crashing glass shook Dean from his drunken stupor, almost causing him to fall off the chair he was perched precariously on. Had that come from his _room_? Anger began to bubble in his gut. If that little son of a bitch was in his room, he was going to quickly regret it. Dean levered himself to his feet and stumbled his way down the hall to his door. He leaned into the doorway and was greeted by the sight of Jack frantically picking up shards of glass, several of which already had spots of blood on them from Jack's unheeding fingers. Dean followed the trail of glass with his eyes to an overturned picture frame, and the anger in his gut boiled over into molten rage. It was his picture of Cas, his _only_ picture of Cas, and this little shit had broken it.

"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he bellowed, and the boy immediately jumped to his feet and backed away a few steps. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. And that was just the last fucking straw. Kid broke into his room and trashed his stuff, and didn't even have the decency to admit what he did. Before Dean knew it, he was stalking into the room, the kid backing away from him with every step until his back hit the wall. Part of Dean realized it was probably a bad idea to antagonize the powerful nephilim but the rest of him just really did not fucking care.

Finally the kid seemed to find his voice. "I'm sorry! It was an accident! I just wanted to look at Father..." But Dean had had enough of that shit.

"He's not your fucking father!" he screamed, spittle spraying. " _Lucifer_ is your father, and he _killed_ Cas! Because Cas was stupid enough to buy _your_ bullshit!" The kid seemed to be trying to push himself into the wall behind him and Dean knew if weren't for the warding on the bunker, he would have already popped out by now. A small part of him almost felt pity for the kid, but the rest of him was enjoying the familiar feel of adrenaline rushing through his veins, washing out all thought and emotion besides the white hot rage. And that was just so much _better_ than the pit of grief and despair he'd been wallowing in lately.

"F... Castiel promised to protect me," the kid whispered, again demonstrating unequivocally that he had no sense of self-preservation. "He said he cared about me..." Dean wasn't going to listen to this crap, there was no way he was going to stand here and listen to this freak talk about Cas like he was _Jack's_ , like they had some sort of _bond_.

Suddenly his arm moved without conscious direction, his clenched fist barreled into the kid's face at full force, and Dean found himself screaming, "You brainwashed him, you little shit! You _made_ him care about you!" Dean fully expected to break his hand on Jack's face, almost hoped it would happen. So he was more than a little surprised when the kid's head snapped back instead, thudding heavily against the wall behind him. For a moment time seemed to stop, both of them frozen, the only sound their heavy breaths.

Dean waited, fists clenched at his side. Waited for the kid to look up at him and flash those golden eyes, throw him across the room, maybe kill him even. The more time spiraled out, the more Dean's reason caught up with him, adrenaline wearing off and abandoning him to uncomfortable realizations that he didn't want to have. Why couldn't the kid just get it the fuck over with already? Slowly the kid's hand came up and Dean braced himself. But Jack only clutched at the spot on his cheek where Dean's fist had struck. When he finally looked up at Dean, there was definitely some shine in his eyes, but it wasn't the golden glow of angelic power, just the clear shimmer of very human tears.

"I..." Jack rasped out, then stopped as if the one word had sapped all his strength. He just stood there, pressed against the wall, blinking up at Dean until the moisture in his eyes overflowed and trailed its way down his cheeks. And now those realizations hit full force. The first being that this kid wasn't even a week old and Dean had just terrorized and assaulted him. The second was that Sammy was gonna be beyond pissed. Dean ran a weary hand across his face and Jack flinched at the movement. "Dean, please," he whispered, the words an eerie echo of another moment with another blue-eyed angel that Dean really, really didn't want to think about right now.

He couldn't handle this shit right now. He just _couldn't_. "Get the fuck out," he barked, gesturing to the door behind him. Jack remained stiff for a moment, wide eyes watching him warily. Then he scrambled to obey Dean, keeping a wide berth between them. Dean remained staring at the wall, so he didn't see when the kid turned back at the doorway but he definitely heard the quiet words that drifted past him.

"I'm sorry, Dean." God, he was so much like _him_. How was that even possible?

Dean spun around, and the quiet sadness he caught on Jack's face was so familiar. The guilt hit him suddenly like a lead weight in his gut, only exacerbated when Jack backed away, hands raised placatingly. His cheek was already swelling, and Dean couldn't understand why it hadn't healed yet. Was Jack stopping it? Blocking off his power? Had he _let_ Dean hurt him? Why did people just let him hurt them? First Sammy, then Cas, now this goddamn kid was jumping on the bandwagon.

"Why?" Dean asked gruffly, a tinge of anger still shading his voice.

"W-what?" Jack looked torn between confusion and fear, between wanting to ask and wanting to run.

"Why didn't you blast me?" Dean demanded. "Why did you just fucking stand there?!"

Jack's confusion only deepened. "I... I didn't want to hurt you."

"Well, why the fuck not?!" The rage that had barely faded was starting to build again, but this time Dean fought to force it down.

"Because hurting you would be bad, and I... I don't want to be bad," Jack admitted, hanging his head as though knowing he had already failed. Somehow Dean had so thoroughly convinced this kid that he was evil that he thought _defending_ himself would be incontrovertible proof of his wickedness. _Way to fucking go, Deano, ya broke another one._

"So it's just fine when I hurt you then?" Dean spit disgustedly, taking a pointed step closer to Jack. And this time he could almost see it happen, the kid's face a tight grimace as he fought down his power, somehow kept it from lashing out at Dean. Sammy would be so proud, Dean thought bitterly. All it took for the kid to learn a little control was a couple days of constant fear.

Jack swallowed hard, clearly unsure if he should answer, before finally choking out, "You... You're the good guys. You kill monsters. And I'm..." He broke off suddenly, unable to finish. And just like that, Dean's anger completely dissipated. Suddenly all he could see was Cas, so ready to take whatever punishment the universe dished out for his perceived failings.

"A monster?" Dean suggested quietly. Jack winced and gave him his patented kicked puppy look, the one Dean was pretty sure he learned from Sam. Dean sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead. The booze was wearing off and the impending headache was already beginning to throb behind his eyes. "Look kid, you've gotta learn not to listen to me all the time," he ground out. "I'm a dick sometimes. Ask Sammy." The kid just furrowed his brow so Dean elaborated. "You're not a monster, ok? Shit happens, and it wasn't all your fault. I'm sorry about the..." Dean gestured weakly towards Jack's swelling face.

Jack cocked his head to the side and a gentle golden glow suffused the mark, fading it away as Dean watched. "It's fine," he muttered. "I'm fine. I'm sorry I broke your picture."

Dean glanced at the shards of glass that still littered the floor and shook his head. "It was just the glass I think." He picked up the still intact frame and pulled out the photo. Cas gazed up at him, frozen in the act of climbing into his pimpmobile, a look of fond exasperation on his face. Dean smiled softly and brushed a finger across Cas' face, catching the kid staring sadly at him out of the corner of his eye. Turning back to Jack, Dean offered him the photo. "Just... just ask next time, alright?" Jack reached out hesitantly, as though suspecting a trap of some kind. When Dean didn't make any threatening movement toward him, Jack accepted the photo with a quiet smile.

"I will," he promised, brushing his fingers over the image of his chosen father, still imitating Dean despite everything. "Could you..." he began, flicking a nervous glance Dean's way. "Would you tell me about him?"

Dean considered refusing, that hangover was fast approaching and he'd probably be better off kicking the kid out and climbing into bed to wallow in his misery. But somehow he couldn't say no to that pleading, hopeful face. He was definitely going to have to have a talk with Sammy about teaching the new kid his tricks. "Sure, why not. Sit your ass down, kid. It's story time."

 **Do I really think Dean only has one pic of Cas in this age of cellphone cameras? Nope. Do I care? Also nope. ;) So I couldn't let go of how weird it was that getting hit with a crowbar was enough to take out Jack and how long it took to heal, so my brain came up with the answer of a subconscious power block where Dean is concerned. I made it more conscious in this fic, but yeah, that's where that came from. Sorry it kind of ends exactly the same as the other two, I guess I really just need Dean to wake up. So glad Cas is back now. Also I know Dean's mood turns on a dime in tbis but that kind of thing happens when you're grieving so I went with it.**


	4. Somehow

**This one doesn't connect to any of the others. However it is that Castiel/Dean confrontation someone asked for, so there's that. Also I keep forgetting to say, thanks for the reviews! And I changed the name of the fic cause Dean said it and I'm stealing it (I'm seriously disappointed that I can't just put the period though). That is all.**

"Jack!" Castiel screamed his name again, despite the sick certainty that Jack wasn't going to answer, wasn't going to come back. A single day, that's all he'd gotten. He'd been reunited with his family and had finally met his son; for once everything was good. For just a little while he was happy. Jack had seemed happy too, eager to prove himself to Castiel and the Winchesters. Until the accident happened. And now he was gone.

Cas spun toward Dean and fixed him with a hot glare. "Dean, what was he talking about? What did you _do_?" They'd told him Jack was doing fine, but clearly this had been brewing for a while. Cas had assumed that the distrustful look Jack had given Dean this morning had simply been a result of the gun incident; obviously that wasn't the only reason.

Dean shot an almost panicked glance at Sam, but Sam only gave him a disappointed frown in return. He wasn't getting any help there. "Look, when you were... gone, I was pretty messed up," Dean admitted, never quite meeting Castiel's eye. "Mom was gone too, trapped with Lucifer, probably dead. But _the kid_ was here. And every time I looked at him, all I could think was if he'd never existed, if Lucifer had never spawned him..."

"You blamed him," Castiel said flatly. Anyone else would think he wasn't upset, but Dean had known him long enough to feel the quiet rage simmering behind his words. "You convinced him he was a monster. That he couldn't be saved." Castiel's fists were clenched so tightly his nails would likely have punched through the skin if he'd been a mere human. Dean hadn't seen Cas this pissed since he'd almost said yes to Michael, and that hadn't exactly ended well for him.

"It wasn't exactly like that..." Dean tried to explain, but Sam scoffing at his choice of words wasn't lending him any credibility. Castiel's eyes flickered to Sam's face, and the sadness and hint of guilt he found there told him all he needed to know.

Cas closed his eyes for a moment, gathering himself, before leveling Dean with a look of cool disappointment that hit him like a punch to the gut. "Last night I told him Kelly would have been proud of him. The look on his face... I didn't understand it at the time. I do now." If anybody knew the sting of Dean's acid tongue and how quickly he could crush a person's self-esteem with a look and a cold word, it was Castiel. Dean certainly wasn't perfect, but Cas had always firmly believed he had a good heart under all his rough thoughtlessness. But this... "How could you do this, Dean?"

Dean shrugged, a move calculated to project carelessness. It failed miserably when he still couldn't bring himself to look Cas in the eye. "I don't know. I wasn't thinking straight. I was so angry all the damn time, especially when that friggin' kid looked at me. I just... I wasn't thinking straight, ok?" Dean's voice was harsh, almost dismissive, but his eyes pleaded for Cas to understand, to forgive him. And part of Castiel wanted to do just that, brush it aside, sweep it under the rug like so many times before. But this wasn't about him. This was about _Jack_.

"He was just a kid, Dean." Dean raised his head at that and opened his mouth, clearly about to argue, but Cas cut him off. "I don't care how old he looked or how much knowledge he had, in terms of life experience he was a newborn. And you told him he was evil." The anger was slowly bleeding out of Castiel, leaving him tired and defeated. He had sworn to protect Kelly's son, sworn to raise him, keep him happy and healthy and _good_. And he had failed. Though he should probably just expect it by now; he always failed whenever he tried to do the right thing after all.

"I didn't tell him he was evil..." Dean spoke up, disrupting Castiel's gloomy thoughts.

"No, you just told him you'd kill him," Sam interrupted quietly, ignoring the betrayed look Dean threw him. "Admit it, Dean, you've been a total asshole to Jack."

Dean threw his hands up in the air and turned away from them. "Fine! I was an asshole and this whole thing is probably my fault. I'm sorry! Happy now?" Cas could feel the waves of bitterness and self-recrimination coming off him, but it wasn't what he wanted right now. Wasn't what he needed from Dean.

"No. I'm not happy," Cas stated bluntly. "Because I'm not the one you should apologize to. Jack is out there somewhere and every demon and angel in creation is hunting him. None of us will be able to apologize for our failings until we get him _back_." Sam moved toward him from the side, hand raised to comfort, but Castiel kept his eyes boring into Dean's back. "I need you to help me. I need you to _try_ , Dean."

Dean sighed, turned back around and took a step closer to Cas. "I will, Cas, of course I will."

Sam stepped up beside Cas, putting a hand on his shoulder. " _We_ will."

Dean repeated the gesture on Cas' other side, completing the chain. "We'll get him back, man." Castiel closed his eyes, feeling the first faint stirrings of hope. If there was anything the Winchesters were good at, it was fixing their mistakes. They'd solved problems that would have crushed lesser men. Together his family would bring Jack home. Somehow.


End file.
